Dick Hansen
Real Name: Richard Gerald Hansen Nicknames: Dick Location: San Jose, California Date: April 29, 1991 Case Details: Former college football star Dick Hansen was the victim of a fatal shooting near San Jose, California. On the night of April 29, 1991, he and several friends went out to a bar for drinks. At 1am, he and his friend, Jean, left in her car. At 1:30am, they arrived at the restaurant where he had left his pickup truck. While they were sitting in her car, another one pulled up behind them. At first, they thought its driver was going to the mailbox. She asked Dick if he thought they should move up a bit to give him more room, but he disagreed as he had plenty. However, he sat in his car the whole time they were talking. When they were ready to go, Jean agreed to follow Dick in her car because she was unfamiliar with the area. When they each left in their separate vehicles, the man did so too. When they arrived at the traffic light, he followed them as they made their left turns. Along another road, Jean changed lanes and he followed her exactly. At the next traffic light, Dick signaled to her to follow him onto the freeway. The man continued to follow them for over ten miles, even after they pulled onto the freeway. Jean changed lanes a number of times thinking she could outwit him but to no avail. She even slammed on the brakes while driving on the freeway, but he did so too. Feeling spooked, Jean finally pulled over beside Dick's truck and asked him to go to the police because of the relentless man, but he could not hear her and told her to follow him off at the next exit. She reported that the man followed them both off the highway, even though she nearly missed the exit. When they pulled over, Jean pointed the man out in his car, and Dick went back to confront him. Jean saw him gesture toward her car when Dick asked him what he wanted. Dick then stepped back and shouted at him. It was then that he fired his gun at Dick twice. Jean frantically rushed back to see if she could help, then froze in fear, staring at the man who stared back at her for a few seconds before taking off into the night. Unfortunately, Dick was dead by the time paramedics arrived. From the beginning, investigators have had trouble finding a suspect and a motive in this case. Jean and some investigators speculate that the killer's stature resembling that of a football player and her license plate number "49R HUGS," in reference to the San Francisco 49ers, might have gotten Dick killed by a fanatical fan of a rival team. He has never been identified and this case remains unsolved. Suspects: The suspect is a white man with a dark complexion. He may be Hispanic or Mediterranean. At the time, he was in his late thirties or early forties; today, he would be in his early sixties. He wore eyeglasses with large black frames. His car looked like a 1970 Pontiac GTO LeMans. It was a two door coupe, with a dull, faded, light grey or blue paint job. Extra Notes: This case first aired on the February 16, 1994 episode. It was also profiled on the TV show Dates from Hell. Results: Unsolved. Sadly, Dick's parents, Gerald and Barbara Hansen, have both since passed away. Links: * Dick Hansen on Unsolved.com * Dates From Hell Episode - Long Kiss Goodnight * Websleuths Discussion of Dick Hansen * Sitcoms Online Discussion of Dick Hansen * Dick Hansen on Find a Grave ---- Category:California Category:1991 Category:Murder Category:Road-Related Cases Category:Unsolved